1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable holder used for holding an elongate musical instrument such as a guitar in an upright position where the longitudinal axis of the instrument is in the vertical orientation. The device is used for holding the instrument when it is temporarily unused by a performer or it can be used for displaying instruments offered for sale in mercantile situations or as a holder of instruments on display by collectors. Visual aesthetics, safety, and convenience are the primary attributes considered for the utility of such a device. The musical instrument should be displayed in an attractive position with a minimum of visually distracting components of the holding device interfering with the visual lines of instrument. The appearance of the holding device itself would also constitute an attribute of the visually aesthetic character of the holding device's utility. Safety is embodied by the overall stability of the device while holding the instrument, the level of restraint that is employed by the holding device, and the nature of the contact between the instrument and the holding device that could cause abrasion to the finished surface of the instrument. Convenience would be a measure of the physical manipulations required to affect the functions of the holding device, transportability of the holding device, and storage requirements of the holding device when it is not being used.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typically, such instruments when not in use for brief periods or when displayed in retail establishments are cradled in devices of a tripod-like multi-leg nature where the instrument is balanced between several points of contact and the downward force of gravity on the instrument dispersed to three points of contact where two laterally separated points carry most of the weight at the bottom of the instrument and a third point of contact located at a higher elevation on the instrument with the instrument oriented to lean slightly backward against this third point of contact with the holding device constitutes a passive retention of the instrument in relation to the holding device. A disturbance to this resting position of the instrument can affect an imbalance to the relatively high center of gravity and cause either the instrument to fall from its balance with the holding device or cause the entire holding device with instrument to fall. Popular improvements add some means of controlling lateral movement of the instrument by placing a bifurcated extension at the highest point of the holding device contacting the narrowest part of the instrument; further an elastic band may be added to this extension and manually positioned to control dislodging the instrument from its backward lean in the holding device. While these improvements serve to increase certain aspects of the safety of the devices it is arguable that overall stability may decrease due to the higher center of gravity of the device.